The Melrose, 417 E. 161st St., is now being operated by Jacar Theaters, Inc. The Jersey City Holding Company, Inc., has acquired the Strand, East Orange, N.J.
Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post article dated 7/16/22:
COLORED THEATER REOPENS
Lincoln, Largest of Its Kind, to Be Managed by Prominent Men of Race
Crandall’s Lincoln theater, 1215 U Street Northwest, the largest playhouse in the United States for colored patrons, will be reopened tomorrow night under the management of a board of directors composed of prominent professional men of the colored race in Washington.
This is from the Newport (RI) Daily News dated 2/4/50, which incidentally was the day my parents were married. Ingrid Bergman was unpopular because she had left her husband and was having a baby with Italian film director Roberto Rossellini.
AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 4â€"The management of the Ellet Theatre in Akron decided to cancel Ingrid Bergman’s latest film, “Under Capricorn†because of possible public reaction to the birth of her baby.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 1/27/76:
The controversial Four Star Theater has resumed operations under a state Supreme Court stay of a Los Angeles Superior Court injunction which closed its doors last December 2. Superior Judge Harry Hupp had shut down the theater at the request of the Los Angeles city attorney’s office under the state’s 1913 Red Light Abatement Act, designed to combat “lewdness or prostitution”.
The theater at 5112 Wilshire Boulevard is owned by Chief U.S. District Judge Albert Lee Stephens, Jr. and two of his daughters. However, it is leased to a theater chain and subleased over the Stephens' family’s protests to a group which is showing X-rated movies.
Police chief Edward M. Davis has complained of numerous arrests for lewd conduct in the theater. Hupp emphasized his decision was based on lewd activity and not the content of the movies.
HIGHLAND PARK-The Highland Theater, picketed by residents last year when X-rated films were offered, has reopened under new management pledged to show only family-type films. Arman Akarakian, the new owner, says picketing in November and December convinced him that “Highland Park meant business” and would support the theater if non-pornographic films were shown. Akarakian, who owns another movie house in Huntington Beach, said the theater will offer Spanish-language films every Tuesday night and childrens' matinees on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 5/28/52:
Hostesses in evening dress will greet numerous actors, Mayor Bowron and throngs of theatergoers at the Paramount Theater’s reopening at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Improvements totalling $250,000 at the theater include a new marquee, lobby, foyer, new seats and rocking-chair loges. There will be new lounge rooms and a large television screen. Top motion pictures will be shown as well as stage shows when they become available, said Jerry Zigmond, United Paramount western division manager.
Two employees have been with the theater since it opened 29 years ago as Grauman’s Metropolitan. They are Earl C. Hamilton, 61, chief projectionist, and Vic Hayes, 60, doorman. The two remember the theater’s initial opening when “My American Wife"m starring Gloria Swanson and Antonio Moreno, was presented.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 5/10/47:
Reopening Thursday night as a picture theater in a blaze of glory and lights, with any number of film celebrities present, and with handsome new decorations and freshly upholstered seats, Las Palmas is showing “Nais”, adapted from Emile Zola’s “Nais Macoulin”, French-made film with English subtitles.
Stars present at the premier included Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Denise Billincord, J. Carrol Naish, Marla Montez, Robert Stack and others.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 2/11/55:
Fox West Coast Theaters yesterday announced the gala opening of its newly remodeled Iris Theater in Hollywood for next Tuesday night after refurbishing at a cost of $100,000.
The first-run show house will feature a wide “miracle mirror” screen adapted for conventional, Cinemascope, 3D or VistaVision films, Edwin F. Zabel, Fox West Coast manager reported.
Additions under the redecoration program include a new facade on the front of the building, marquee, seats, carpeting, lighting system, box office and poster display cases finished in stainless steel. William F. Katzky, Jr., 35, with 16 years experience in show business has been named manager of the theater.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 12/15/57:
Newly renovated Fox West Coast Theaters' Academy theater and building in Pasadena will be reopened next Thursday. Modernization project, which cost $192,000, includes relocation of building entrance from Catalina Street to Colorado Blvd., installation of elevator to second floor offices, renovation of facade and installation of aluminum store fronts. The theater tower was remodeled and the marquee was repainted and relighted.
Here are excerpts from an LA Times article dated 8/31/50:
Mexico made a proud showing last night when the Million Dollar Theater reopened under the management of Impresario Frank Fouce. Official representatives of nearly every Central and South American country appeared and took bows, including Consuls from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay and other countries as well as Mexico.
It all recalls that first opening on February 18, 1918 when Sid Grauman brought myriads of stars to the theater, including Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Lillian Gish, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, Alla Nazimova, Douglas Fairbanks and scores of others to see William S. Hart in “The Silent Man”.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 4/19/55:
In typical filmland style, Fox West Coast Theaters tonight will open the newly remodeled Valley Guild Theater in North Hollywood.
Refurbished at a cost of $35,000, the deluxe showcase, located at Lankershim & Magnolia, will feature many of the latest engineering techniques, including the newly developed “eye-intensity” curved screen, adapted for conventional pictures as well as Cinemascope.
Jacques Tati’s “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” and “The Little Kidnappers” wil be the opening program.
DETROIT-Detroit’s off-again-on-again house, the Downtown, reported closed last week, reopened here Saturday. The house was closed by Lipton Astrachan, who went back to Chicago, but reopened by Sam Carver, who was manager of the house for the Krim circuit when it was open a few weeks ago.
About the middle of this article it mentions that the theater was named after Frank Burns, the former mayor of Newport: http://www.tomifobia.com/burns.html
This is part of a Washington Post article dated 1/24/32:
Man Kills Admirer of Wife, Causing Panic in Theater
Hazleton, Pa., Jan. 23 (U.P.). — The absorption of 500 patrons in a motion picture at the Feeley Theater was shattered by a pistol shot in the semidark balcony. A man’s body slumped to the floor and another man ran from the balcony.
It’s actually faster if you type in “borger”, as opposed to “circle”, sa there are some Circle Theaters in OKC. Here is a view of the theater in Borger from that site: http://tinyurl.com/7stgfy
From Boxoffice magazine, 1/9/38:
The Melrose, 417 E. 161st St., is now being operated by Jacar Theaters, Inc. The Jersey City Holding Company, Inc., has acquired the Strand, East Orange, N.J.
Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post article dated 7/16/22:
COLORED THEATER REOPENS
Lincoln, Largest of Its Kind, to Be Managed by Prominent Men of Race
Crandall’s Lincoln theater, 1215 U Street Northwest, the largest playhouse in the United States for colored patrons, will be reopened tomorrow night under the management of a board of directors composed of prominent professional men of the colored race in Washington.
Some photos are here:
http://tinyurl.com/a25726
This is from the Newport (RI) Daily News dated 2/4/50, which incidentally was the day my parents were married. Ingrid Bergman was unpopular because she had left her husband and was having a baby with Italian film director Roberto Rossellini.
AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 4â€"The management of the Ellet Theatre in Akron decided to cancel Ingrid Bergman’s latest film, “Under Capricorn†because of possible public reaction to the birth of her baby.
News about reopening on 12/5/08:
http://tinyurl.com/79trj5
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 1/27/76:
The controversial Four Star Theater has resumed operations under a state Supreme Court stay of a Los Angeles Superior Court injunction which closed its doors last December 2. Superior Judge Harry Hupp had shut down the theater at the request of the Los Angeles city attorney’s office under the state’s 1913 Red Light Abatement Act, designed to combat “lewdness or prostitution”.
The theater at 5112 Wilshire Boulevard is owned by Chief U.S. District Judge Albert Lee Stephens, Jr. and two of his daughters. However, it is leased to a theater chain and subleased over the Stephens' family’s protests to a group which is showing X-rated movies.
Police chief Edward M. Davis has complained of numerous arrests for lewd conduct in the theater. Hupp emphasized his decision was based on lewd activity and not the content of the movies.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 9/7/75:
Ex-Porno Theater Reopens
HIGHLAND PARK-The Highland Theater, picketed by residents last year when X-rated films were offered, has reopened under new management pledged to show only family-type films. Arman Akarakian, the new owner, says picketing in November and December convinced him that “Highland Park meant business” and would support the theater if non-pornographic films were shown. Akarakian, who owns another movie house in Huntington Beach, said the theater will offer Spanish-language films every Tuesday night and childrens' matinees on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 5/28/52:
Hostesses in evening dress will greet numerous actors, Mayor Bowron and throngs of theatergoers at the Paramount Theater’s reopening at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Improvements totalling $250,000 at the theater include a new marquee, lobby, foyer, new seats and rocking-chair loges. There will be new lounge rooms and a large television screen. Top motion pictures will be shown as well as stage shows when they become available, said Jerry Zigmond, United Paramount western division manager.
Two employees have been with the theater since it opened 29 years ago as Grauman’s Metropolitan. They are Earl C. Hamilton, 61, chief projectionist, and Vic Hayes, 60, doorman. The two remember the theater’s initial opening when “My American Wife"m starring Gloria Swanson and Antonio Moreno, was presented.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 5/10/47:
Reopening Thursday night as a picture theater in a blaze of glory and lights, with any number of film celebrities present, and with handsome new decorations and freshly upholstered seats, Las Palmas is showing “Nais”, adapted from Emile Zola’s “Nais Macoulin”, French-made film with English subtitles.
Stars present at the premier included Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Denise Billincord, J. Carrol Naish, Marla Montez, Robert Stack and others.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 2/11/55:
Fox West Coast Theaters yesterday announced the gala opening of its newly remodeled Iris Theater in Hollywood for next Tuesday night after refurbishing at a cost of $100,000.
The first-run show house will feature a wide “miracle mirror” screen adapted for conventional, Cinemascope, 3D or VistaVision films, Edwin F. Zabel, Fox West Coast manager reported.
Additions under the redecoration program include a new facade on the front of the building, marquee, seats, carpeting, lighting system, box office and poster display cases finished in stainless steel. William F. Katzky, Jr., 35, with 16 years experience in show business has been named manager of the theater.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 12/15/57:
Newly renovated Fox West Coast Theaters' Academy theater and building in Pasadena will be reopened next Thursday. Modernization project, which cost $192,000, includes relocation of building entrance from Catalina Street to Colorado Blvd., installation of elevator to second floor offices, renovation of facade and installation of aluminum store fronts. The theater tower was remodeled and the marquee was repainted and relighted.
Here are excerpts from an LA Times article dated 8/31/50:
Mexico made a proud showing last night when the Million Dollar Theater reopened under the management of Impresario Frank Fouce. Official representatives of nearly every Central and South American country appeared and took bows, including Consuls from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay and other countries as well as Mexico.
It all recalls that first opening on February 18, 1918 when Sid Grauman brought myriads of stars to the theater, including Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Lillian Gish, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, Alla Nazimova, Douglas Fairbanks and scores of others to see William S. Hart in “The Silent Man”.
Here is part of an LA Times article dated 4/19/55:
In typical filmland style, Fox West Coast Theaters tonight will open the newly remodeled Valley Guild Theater in North Hollywood.
Refurbished at a cost of $35,000, the deluxe showcase, located at Lankershim & Magnolia, will feature many of the latest engineering techniques, including the newly developed “eye-intensity” curved screen, adapted for conventional pictures as well as Cinemascope.
Jacques Tati’s “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” and “The Little Kidnappers” wil be the opening program.
Here is an item about the theater re-opening on 12/25/53 with a a Cinemascope screen
http://tinyurl.com/9oqrdt
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:
DETROIT-Detroit’s off-again-on-again house, the Downtown, reported closed last week, reopened here Saturday. The house was closed by Lipton Astrachan, who went back to Chicago, but reopened by Sam Carver, who was manager of the house for the Krim circuit when it was open a few weeks ago.
Looks like some renovation is planned:
http://tinyurl.com/73vsrx
About the middle of this article it mentions that the theater was named after Frank Burns, the former mayor of Newport:
http://www.tomifobia.com/burns.html
This is part of a Washington Post article dated 1/24/32:
Man Kills Admirer of Wife, Causing Panic in Theater
Hazleton, Pa., Jan. 23 (U.P.). — The absorption of 500 patrons in a motion picture at the Feeley Theater was shattered by a pistol shot in the semidark balcony. A man’s body slumped to the floor and another man ran from the balcony.
Looks the same as this theater:
/theaters/14628/
It’s actually faster if you type in “borger”, as opposed to “circle”, sa there are some Circle Theaters in OKC. Here is a view of the theater in Borger from that site:
http://tinyurl.com/7stgfy
Here is a January 1953 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/49l7ry
Here is a 1949 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/8e5oqj
Here is a 1949 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/7r6vpw
Address is wrong, as the building is on E. 7th. Doesn’t look as if the building is occupied at present, but it’s still standing.
Aerial view here:
http://www.drive-ins.com/pictures/ohtmile065.jpg